Baby, You're Stuck With Me
by good old fashioned little shit
Summary: Eden Barrett never thought that she'd see her former mentor, Sheila Bennett, again. But when Sheila visits her just before the other side collapses, asking her to do something big, she can't help but say yes. However, the task might prove much more difficult than she originally thought. Especially when she gets stuck with an Original. [Kol/OC; set after 5x22; rated 'T' for a bit!]
1. The Backup Plan

Baby, You're Stuck With Me

**chapter one**

_"The Backup Plan"_

* * *

_Bonnie Bennett stood in front of her grandmother, facial expression a mix of confusion and fear as she listened to the words Sheila was saying._

_"I can't come, Bonnie. You're not the only member of this family that knows how to make a sacrifice."_

_Both women were emotional, knowing it would probably be the last time they saw each other. And while Sheila knew that her granddaughter was scared of what was to come, she could not help feel that swell of pride that came with knowing Bonnie was a bright, caring young woman. She didn't need to die._

_"What does that mean?" Bonnie's voice cracked as she spoke, a tear going down her cheek._

_"It means that I'm going to be fine. I found peace because I made sure that you'll find yours."_

* * *

**Two days earlier...**

Eden Barrett sat cross-legged on the floor of her dorm. Around her were her personal belongings; books, clothes, nick knacks that she'd collected throughout the years, all things that she had to pack up one last time before going back home.

It was crazy to believe that it was six years ago that she had first stepped foot on the Whitmore campus. She had been eighteen, just a baby freshman intent on living normally without her zany family and her even crazier peers. And lived normally she had. Now, she was graduating as a very well matured twenty-four year old with a Masters in Mythology & Occultism.

The only thing she didn't like about graduating was packing up all her things. It was that time of the year that she always dreaded, and usually she put it off until the very last-minute. And that's exactly what she did this time, too. Not only did she have even more things to pack. But she had to be out by the following afternoon.

She was a nightmare when it came to deadlines, really. Her professors hated it, but she seemed to get through just in time.

"Alright. I can do this." she spoke out loud to herself while pulling the hair band off of her wrist and tying her hair back, "I am a strong, motivated woman with a Masters. Clutter is no match for me or my suitcases."

For a moment, she thought about using magic to help herself out. After all, what was the point in being a good witch if she didn't use it to her benefit? However, she quickly decided against it. Her mother had raised her to do simple tasks the hard way, and save her magic for things that needed a magical touch.

Which made it extremely amusing to Eden when she'd go back home and see her mother using magic to help with cooking in the kitchen, but it was always best to just not comment on that.

_'Eden..'_

Her neck craned to the side as she tried to look behind her in the doorway, thinking she heard someone calling her name. Nonetheless, no one was there. Eden just marked it off as hearing things and turned back around to get started with her packing.

It was then that she saw the form of another woman who hadn't been standing there before.

"Mother of fu-" she started, jumping up as she laid eyes on Sheila Bennett, who looked very unimpressed when the younger woman.

"Eden Marie, don't you finish that sentence." The ghost warned with slightly amused, yet serious eyes.

Eden pressed a hand to her chest, as if she could make her heart beat return to normal that way and she looked at her old friend and former mentor.

"Sheila? You... you're dead. I know you're dead. I went to your funeral." She stammered, brow furrowed. It wasn't that she didn't believe in ghosts, she just thought that they remained, well, invisible.

But then.. there had been those rumors about purgatory collapsing.

"Yes, I am. But I'll be gone soon enough." The older woman stepped forward, careful not to step on anything on the floor as she smiled at Eden. "But it's great to see you, child. I'm proud of you."

Barrett witches had always been rather close to the Bennett's. As a small child, Eden would visit Sheila and sometimes she would even play with Sheila's younger granddaughter, Bonnie. However, when Bonnie's mom up and left them, Sheila didn't have as much time to visit, and by that time, Eden was mostly doing school things.

"Not that it's not pleasant to see you, Sheila. But.. why are you here? Are you alright?" Eden's eyes widened. "Oh my God, this is a warning isn't it. Some kind of freak of nature two-week notice. I'm going to die, aren't I?" Being dramatic seemed to be a part of her genes. She would always state that it got it from her mom. Which for the most part, she did.

"Hush. You're not going to die." Sheila rolled her eyes with a tiny smile. "But I need a favor from you. A big one."

"Of course, anything. You know I don't mind." The graduate replied almost immediately. And it was true. She still frowned when Sheila shook her head with a sigh.

"You shouldn't agree so quickly, Eden. You don't even know what I'm going to ask you, yet." A pause filled the air between them before Sheila started speaking again. "The other side is falling apart at the seams. I'm sure you've heard that rumors. " At this Eden nodded. Witches gossiped. A lot. "My grandchild, Bonnie. She is the anchor, the one that spirits pass through. When the other side falls apart all the way, she will go with it."

"Oh my God..." A hand flew to her mouth as Eden took the information in. She did not know anything about that Bonnie personally. In fact, she hadn't even seen her since Sheila's funeral and that was only a brief encounter that the younger witch probably didn't even remember. "But.. what is the favor?"

She didn't like how grim the other woman looked. Already, Eden could tell that the favor Sheila was going to ask of her wasn't going to be delivering a message, or putting flowers on a grave. It was probably going to go bite her in the ass several times over.

"I need you to be the backup plan that Bonnie doesn't know about. If she dies, I need you to find her spirit and bring her back."

Nothing was said, then. Eden, who was still processing the whole thing, sat back on her bed and looked up at Sheila, a frown on her face. How much faith did the woman have in her?

"Even if I could.. I don't have as much power as it would take to bring her back. And it would take.. well, a while for me to even figure out how to do that." She said, shaking her head. Suddenly, she felt older than she actually was.

Sheila stepped forward and took both of Eden's hands in hers, a sad smile on her face. Throughout the years, she had come to look at Eden as another granddaughter, and she was one of her best students not to mention a talented witch.

"My old grimoires should have all that you need, Eden. And you'll have enough power. You'll have my power."

"What? You can't sacrifice your power to-" Eden started to argue, but was hushed by Sheila again.

"I am free to do as I please with my gifts. And I want to give them to you so that you can save my granddaughter. Please, Eden. Please."

The woman's hands squeezed Eden's tighter in urgency. It was her only hope. Bonnie's only hope. Finally, after a few beats of silence, Eden sighed and nodded, squeezing her favorite teacher's hands back.

"Sure. I'll do it."

* * *

_"I don't understand..." Bonnie said, her voice cracking with emotion._

_"Not your concern. Just know that I looked out for you."_

_With that, Bonnie hugged her Grams for the last time, even more tears spilling over as she buried her face into her grandmother's shoulder._

_"I love you, Bonnie. You stay strong." Sheila's voice was slightly muffled, but Bonnie nodded all the same._

_"I love you."_

* * *

_"This place is going down, isn't it?"_

_Bonnie looked to her left, to the vampire she had grown to hate over time. But now, she couldn't help but be glad that she just wasn't alone. In front of them, holes of light peeked through to the other side, making the fabric of their clothes to flutter and their hair swirl._

_"It is." she paused, looking at the light, then looking back at Damon. "I'm sure there are a million people we'd rather be with right now, but..."_

_Her hand slipped into Damon's, and he gave it a slight squeeze to let her know he felt the same._

_"A couple thousand, at most." He joked, but Bonnie didn't have it in her to even smile at his attempt to make light of the situation. It was way too dire._

_"Do you think it will hurt?"_

_Her voice was slight, like a child who was afraid of the dark and asking their mother if there were monsters under the bed. It wouldn't be long now until it was over. Damon started to reply, voice grave as he too stared at the light that seemed to have got brighter by the second._

_"I don't..."_

_**And then there was nothing. **_


	2. Family Ties Don't Always Bind

Pre-Chapter Author's Note

Hello All! First off, I want to say how much I appreciate every read, review, favorite, and follow I have gotten so far on this story! So many and it hasn't even been that long since I posted the first chapter! Second of all, I want to say that this story will **not** be centered around Mystic Falls and the gang back there. While it is starting out there and will continue to be set there, it is a Kol/OC story, so eventually, I'm going to turn it into a crossover and it will branch out into The Originals territory. Mostly because I no longer have the patience for The Vampire Diaries and I prefer the characters on TO.

_I do not own The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, or any of the characters in either shows._

**Please remember to comment/critique/review! Thank you!**

xx Crys

* * *

Baby, You're Stuck With Me

**chapter two**

_"Family Ties Don't Always Bind"_

* * *

**two weeks later...**

The very moment that Eden stepped through the door of her childhood home, her mother had her pulled into a hug that was almost a death grip.

"Oh, my baby. How are you? Did you stop to sleep on your way home? You made sure to keep the gas tank full, right?"

Annette Barrett was such a mother in both the best and worst ways. While she was your typical bake sale and home keeper mom who would always make sure you had enough to eat and then offer to fix you more half an hour later, she also worried and fuzzed entirely too much. Eden, being the only child that she was, had grown used to it over the years; so she just rolled her eyes and hugged her mom back.

"Yes, Momma. I made sure the gas tank was filled when I left. And Whitmore is only two and a half hours away. I didn't need to stop to sleep." At her answer, her mother sniffed and shook her head.

"Nothing wrong with having a well good nap in the middle of the day."

"What can I say, I wanted to get home to your cooking." Eden grinned as her mom swatted at her playfully and took two of her bags from where she had dropped them.

"See, now you're just trying to butter me up for something."

"Or I just like for you to cook for me. You know I can't cook worth shit."

As the pair walked upstairs, Annette hummed in agreement. Sadly it was true. For all the times, she honestly tried to get Eden cooking lessons, and taught her the basics. Her daughter just could not grasp the simple mechanics of the kitchen. That girl could burn a pot full of water.

"Your grandmother called, by the way. She wants you to go up to her house soon." Eden's mom spoke, a frown on her face. It was clear that Annette and her former mother in law didn't really get along, but Eden just chalked it up to a difference in magic.

While her father's side of the family had been all about tradition and balance, the witches in her mom's family were, well for lack of a better term, hippie witches. There was not any code or conduct, no traditions, and most of all no ancient rituals and her mom embraced it fully. It was something that Eden had appreciated growing up; being able to look at both sides of the witchy spectrum to make her own path and to choose her own style and method of doing things.

"Alright. I'll probably go see her tomorrow, then. Maybe spend the night. I know she'll want to drill me on what I learned in my last year."

Her mother clicked her tongue disapprovingly as they made their way into Edens room.

"That woman. Too hung up in the past to even function properly if you ask me."

"Just because she didn't want Daddy's body cremated like we did doesn't make her the wicked witch of the west."

"Oh no, I've disliked her long before that, my girl."

Eden gave her a sardonic look as she pushed her door open.

"I'm aware. I was the one you would send messages with when I went and visited every weekend, remember?" Eden tossed her bags on her bed and rubbed her shoulders that were hurting from the strain of her luggage. "And half the time, they were full of words that even a sailor would blush at."

Annette waved her off and set the bags she carried down in front of the bed where she stood and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well you didn't get your mouth from your father. That's for damn sure." She grinned, making Eden laugh.

"You know, I'm pretty sure mothers are supposed to scold their children when they swear, not swear right back at them."

"I'm a single mother who is at the same time a witch and a business owner. I'm allowed to be different." She gave her daughter a look. "And don't you be comparing me to other mom's, either." Warned her mom playfully before walking out to get back downstairs.

Eden hesitated to follow. Ever since Sheila had visited her, she'd felt different. Not in a bad way though. She felt more powerful due to Sheila gave up and transitioned her magic into Eden. While the process felt like she was being overloaded, and left her exhausted for the first few days afterwards, she felt as if she could run several magical marathons in a row and then some. But one thing that was on her mind was whether she should tell her mother or not. It wasn't that she didn't trust her mom; in fact it was the opposite of that. Annette had been the closest thing that Eden had to a best friend for many years of her life, and while she knew her mother would want to know what was going on, she didn't want her to over worry herself. Besides, with Sheila's magic and her own combined, she wasn't almost certain she could do it without any hang-ups.

Almost.

"Edie? Are you planning on coming down?"

She replied immediately, "Yeah, 'course." As she walked down the narrow flight of stairs and into the warm kitchen. Eden propped her elbows on top of the island in the room and rested her chin on her hands, following her mom with her eyes as the older woman walked back and forth, opening cabinets and taking things out before closing them and leaving again. It was pretty entertaining to Eden to see her mom work her magic in the kitchen. Not magic magic, but magic that made her stomach rumble every time she smelled the delicious aroma coming from the pot on the stove.

"So I was thinking of going on a trip." She started after a minute, dropping on arm and using her finger to trace the few cracked tiles where she was leaning. This made her mom pause and look at her with a frown.

She said, "But you just got back!"

"Yeah, I know. But I only want to go to Mystic Falls. I'll be gone maybe... I don't know, a week? A week and a half at the most? It won't be long. Just want to catch up with the friends I have there before summer really hits and I'm helping you at the shop." Annette owned a small occult shop a few miles away. Most people thought it was just a fun little store to see "black magic" trinkets; though what they practiced was anything but real black magic. Most normal people didn't know the difference between Lord Voldemort and the Wicked Witch of the West, much less know anything about the real stuff. Occasionally though, a real witch would drop by and pick up a few items, and her mom had acquired a long list of clients that she shipped herbs and other things to, so business was really good.

Eden could tell by the look on her mother's face that she was disappointed with what she was hearing. Her lips were pulled into a firm line as she stirred the pot of chili on the oven. Sometimes Eden wondered if she would mirror her mother's looks when she reached her age, since they looked so alike.

"Fine. But you have to visit your grandmother before you leave." she finally replied, waving a spoon in her direction. "I don't want to be the one who has to deal with the ten phone calls a day, asking if you had decided to live with her, or if you had decided to travel, or any other uppity thing she might pull out of her ass." Behind her back, Eden rolled her eyes with a scoff. "And don't roll your eyes at me, young woman! I'll roll them right back." She cautioned over her shoulder, knowing her daughter all too well.

Eden laughed, "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

The next morning, Eden woke up earlier than she normally would. She needed the extra time in the morning to get ready to go to her grandmother's house. Claudia Barrett was a piece of work. If her mother was the bright daytime, Claudia was the somewhat cold darkness of night time. It was a refreshing change for Eden, but sometimes it got old after being with her for a while. However she was still Eden's grandmother, and despite being way more relaxed, they both had several things in common. Especially the biggest connection; Eden's father.

When he died, Annette fell apart, leaving Eden in the care of Claudia for weeks at a time until she was fifteen, when she got her act together and finally, Eden spent more time with her mom. But those few years where she lived on and off an hour away were where she got the finer taste of life. She was well taken care of ever since, and reaped greatly from it.

After she got dressed, she went down stairs, the heels of her ankle boots clicking against the linoleum of the kitchen when she walked in to get herself a glass of water.

"Morning." Came the sound of her mother's voice.

Without thinking, Eden let go of the glass that she had just gotten down from the high cabinet in shock at hearing her mother's voice. But before it could drop and shatter to the ground, she put her hand out and stopped it just before it hit the ground.

"Impressive trick." Annette raised a brow, looking at the glass that was floating just above the ground before Eden reached down to pick it up.

"Yeah, I learned a few things during the school year." She shrugged. Her mom though, narrowed her eyes; even though it looked a bit comical with the pink fuzzy bathrobe she was wearing paired with her slippers and her hair pulled up in a very messy bun.

"Maybe I need to take those classes then. Telekinesis like that would come in handy around the shop."

Eden laughed, shaking her head as she wiped the glass off and filled it with ice from the door of the fridge before filling it with water.

"Maybe we could do a show at the shop, then. You know, the great Barrett women, able to move thing with their mi-ii-ind." She drew out the last word with a grin.

"As if. Your Claudia would kill us. Literally. She would do some of her juju and we would be dead." Annette paused. "Speaking of, you about to head over?"

Eden nodded, "Yep. Packed an overnight bag last night and then I have another suitcase for Mystic Falls. Figured I'd just make it a one way trip, and come back after I'm done visiting each one." She said and polished off her water. Her mom sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't like you travelling so much. It makes me uneasy."

"No offense, mom, but I'm older than you were when you had me." Eden grinned, "If you can have a baby and be younger than me, I can go a couple hours away to a small harmless town for a little bit." _And potentially get myself killed by bringing someone back to life, _she added mentally.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't come back pregnant or I will kill you." Her mother joked before giving her a hug after Eden put her glass in the sink. "Make sure to call me at least every other day. Alright?"

"Yeah mom, sure." Eden said as she hugged her back. Then, she walked out the door before getting in her small SUV and driving off.

Forty five minutes full of loud pop music later, she pulled up to her grandmother's place and got out. Before she could even knock on the door it had swung open to reveal a much smaller and thinner woman with graying hair.

"Eden, darling. Come in, come in!" An English accented voice hit Eden's ears as she walked up the steps to Claudia old house; it was more like a mansion, though her grandmother swore that Victor, her late great-grandfather, wanted it to be bigger when he built it.

She replied, "Hi Nana." as she was wrapped in a hug, the scent of her grandmother's perfume invading her nose as soon as she got within touching distance. Afterwards, Claudia pushed her back an arm's length before looking her up and down.

"You've put on weight."

"Yeah. Stress eating. Exams. Snack eating on junk food. Marathoning and vegging out on the couch with ice cream. It will all do that to you." Eden commented sarcastically as her grandmother tutted disapprovingly.

Over the years, Eden grew to expect comments about her attire, weight, hair, or anything else that was out of place in her Nana's mind, so as she stood on the porch, still in the grasp of the older woman, she didn't mind too much. It was just another thing she had to undergo when visiting.

"Mom says hi, by the way."

Claudia scoffed, finally letting go of her granddaughter and rolling her eyes. The older woman led Eden into the house and motioned for her to close the door after they walked in.

"I'm sure that's what the message said after you filtered it." She said, and Eden grinned slightly while ducking her head down to hide her face for a moment. But instead of letting her reply, Claudia just kept talking as she led Eden into the designated 'sitting room' where, surprise of all surprises, was just for sitting. When she was younger, Eden asked her grandma why every room wasn't called a sitting room since you can technically sit in all of them, but she only earned herself a lecture on proper housekeeping and how to be a good hostess instead of acquiring a real answer for her question.

"Is she still running that crack-shop of hers?"

"She still has her store, yes." Eden answered, though she had no idea what a 'crack shop' was; it didn't sound too welcoming, though.

"Back in my day, witches didn't go to a store to buy their supplies. They dug them up, grew the plants themselves, crushed the leaves with their own tools, made their personal talismans. It's shameful that you can buy these things for less than their worth. " she paused to take a breath. "And half the time they won't even work properly!" Claudia shook her head with a huff. "Downright shameful."

"It's a way of earning a living, Nana."

"Hmph. It's a way of duping people out of good product and the satisfaction of doing things themselves." Her grandmother sniffed before leaning back and crossing her ankles. She looked at Eden. "But darling, tell me about your last year of school. I wasn't too keen on you learning magic from a textbook, but Annette mentioned that a Bennett witch taught one of your classes?"

Eden nodded, smile tight on her face as her grandmother mentioned Sheila. She knew that if she wasn't careful, Claudia would see right through her and immediately know something was up. Half the time when she was younger, Eden was positive that her Nana could read minds.

"Yes ma'am. Sheila Bennett was one of my teachers, but she passed away a year and a half ago." She gave a shrug of her shoulders as she spoke. The sharp eyes of her grandma were on her though, making her feel as if she were under a microscope.

"Just because she died doesn't mean you can't still speak to her, Eden." Claudia pursed her lips. That moment, Eden knew that she'd been busted; or at least she felt that way. However, the other woman kept speaking. "The spirits talk. Your mother may not be a fan of a good séance, but I am. I heard an interesting rumor that a witch had gone to you to ask a favor. Is that true, young lady?"

While Eden fidgeted in her seat, obviously hesitating on giving an answer, Claudia cleared her throat, wanting the question to be addressed.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, it's true. Sheila wanted me to do something for her, and I said I'd do it." She cracked a small smile. "No biggie."

"It is a very big deal, when you are granted another witch's powers and she asks you to raise the dead."

"That..."

Claudia held up her hand, silencing her granddaughter with the gesture. She knew that Eden was strong enough to bring Sheila Bennett's granddaughter back; and as cold as the woman seemed most times, she didn't want to lose the one granddaughter who was the closest to her. Sure, she had other children who had their own children, but Eden was the only one who actually visited her, and appeared to take an interest in her Nana's life.

"You didn't say anything to your mother. Or else she would have called me to tell you that you can't do it." Claudia paused. "But you are a grown woman who can make your own decisions. And you're certainly capable of exceeding expectations with your task."

Eden looked up then, her eyes growing wide.

"You're not mad?"

"Do you believe that you can do this?"

Eden shifted in her seat, nodding. "Well, yeah."

"Then no, I'm not mad. In fact, I won't even tell your mother what you're doing, if that's what you want from me." Claudia said, and Eden gave her a sour look.

"You just want to piss her off, Nana."

"And your point is?" Her grandmother raised a delicate eyebrow, daring her to argue. Then, the older woman smiled and leaned forward before patting Eden's hand. "Now come, I have the guest bedroom set up for you so that you can spend the night. We can talk about what you learned at school."

* * *

Next up: Eden heads to Mystic Falls!


	3. Bad Luck Turns Good

Pre-Chapter Author's Note

So thank you to all who put this story on their favorites/follow list! And thank you to the few who reviewed. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed with only having so little reviews, but I am determined not to let the number of reviews define how often I update. But that being said, it does motivate me to get the next chapter out quicker when I see a new review posted! This chapter is mostly a filler, due to me not wanting the story to move _too_ quickly and just hop along from place to place without any steady pace (ha. that rhymed. I'm a poet.) but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless!

_I do not own The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, or any of the characters in either shows._

**Please remember to comment/critique/review! Thank you!**

xx Crys

* * *

Baby, You're Stuck With Me

**chapter three**

_"Bad Luck Turns Good"_

* * *

The rain battered down against the roof of Eden's car as she drove down the long road. Having woken up later than she intended to that morning, she had been in a rush to do things all day. From accidentally burning herself when curling her hair, to messing up her makeup at least twice, to dropping her Starbucks bag in a puddle just outside the shop she went into; it seemed like the dreary atmosphere was just the perfect backdrop for the theme of the day.

Even though all of this could have gotten her spirits low, she wasn't in any sort of bad mood; it was the opposite, really. All throughout her car ride, she listened to loud rock music and sang along with vigor. The witch was anticipating her time in Mystic Falls. Oh, of course she knew that the unlucky things that had happened to her since the moment she'd woken up that morning could have been some sort of messed up omen telling her to high-tail it out of there, Eden wasn't having any of it. Not one bit. Today would be a pleasant, easy-going day and she would be completely positive because she was a strong witch who could do anything.

All she had to do was keep repeating that mantra over, and over, and over until it stuck.

As soon as she passed the somewhat battered little "Welcome to Mystic Falls!" sign, Eden turned down the volume so that she could hear herself think again and looked around. Even with the downpour of rain, people seemed to be walking about and carrying on like nothing was going on. Lucky them.

It didn't take her long to find the directions to Mrs. Flowers' bed and breakfast she'd gotten directions to earlier. It was a comfortable looking house; not too large, but definitely not too small. It reminded the dark-haired woman of her grandmother's house actually, but much more.. lived in and homey.

Eden pulled her car to a stop in front of the house, parking it between two other cars and turning it off. She had just opened the door and put a foot out of the car when she felt water seeping through her boot. An internal cringe accompanied a long sigh as it dawned on her that she should have looked before stepping in a puddle, or she would have saved herself the chill she felt at getting her feet wet.

After she got out of the car completely (and made sure to check for any puddles on the ground that might cause her more distress) she walked up the small pathway that led to the main entrance of the house. From a few feet away, she could see inside, seeing as the door was wide open and the only thing separating the outside and inside was a screen door that looked older than the house itself. The coat of glossy white paint on the building looked about ten years old, and was peeling pretty badly in some places, but to Eden, it just added to its charm.

She pulled her hand up and pushed the doorbell with two fingers, tapping her foot on the wooden porch beneath her. Suddenly, she was very glad that there was a roof over the porch, and she didn't have to stand outside getting any more wet than she already was.

A kind looking older woman walked up with a smile and opened the screen door before beckoning Eden inside.

"Oh, you. Come inside before you catch a cold dear. It's much warmer." She crooned with a chuckle when Eden wrinkled her nose when Mrs. Flowers mentioned her catching a cold.

"Thank you. Are there any rooms available? I'm only going to be staying for a little while, maybe a week at the most." The younger woman said, ringing off some excess water off of her hands before shaking the hand that was offered to her by Mrs. Flowers.

"Of course, of course. Would that be for one person or two?"

"One. It's just me."

After getting her room key and filling out a couple of papers, Eden found herself lugging her suitcase up the dark mahogany stairs and into the room that Mrs. Flowers had deemed as Eden's for the duration for her stay. It was a pretty nice room, too. Nothing like her bedroom back at home, of course. But it would do. She was really in no place to be complaining about the colors of the walls, or the frilly pillows that were stacked on the bed.

It didn't take her long to unpack; mostly because she didn't bring many things with her. The necessary items like clothes and such, but other than the obvious products she had filled her suitcase with a few borrowed grimoires from her grandmother and other things she never left home without when going somewhere more than a few days. 'You can never be too prepared', as her mother would say.

Eden knew that she should have called her mom to tell her that she arrived, but when she pulled her phone out of her back pocket to do so, she felt the overwhelming urge to just put it off until later that night before she went to sleep. Half of it was because she simply did not feel like being questioned about the bad day she'd been having, and the other half, well, she didn't like lying. Hence the reason why she gave into the urge to not call at that moment and shoved her phone back in her pocket.

With a swift movement, she grabbed her car keys and put her jacket on, intent on exploring the town a little before it got too dark. Eden had been to Mystic Falls a few other times, and it always amused her at the normal atmosphere it had. Especially since she knew that it was anything but.

"Mrs. Flowers? I'll be back soon." She alerted the older woman as she took the steps two at a time while going down them, passing her along the way.

"Of course dear, be safe out there."

* * *

Upon hearing the news that the only good place to eat in the town had been hit with a car and blown up by a gas leak made Eden's day worse. During her few visits, she could never resist the Mystic Grill's cheese fries, and now she couldn't have them due to some idiot driving their car stupidly into the place. Having to settle wasn't something she liked doing often, but it sometimes proved to be okay; like settling for the small restaurant that was family owned in the town center. It was nowhere near as lively as the Grill, but she still got her food and at the end of the day, that was what really mattered to Eden; can't be a badass witch on an empty stomach, after all.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see someone watching her. He was decent looking enough, and had that straight laced football player vibe about him, but what really caught her attention was the way he concentrated on her, as if he was in deep thought. Finally after about five minutes, he pushed his chair back and mumbled something to the person he was sitting with before walking over and speaking to Eden, making her look up and smile as if she'd just then noticed him.

"Excuse me, but have we met?"

He did look familiar, though she wasn't entirely sure where she'd seen him before.

"Um, I'm not too sure. What's your name?" She asked.

The boy smiled kindly and held out his hand which she gave a quick shake as he introduced himself.

"Matt. Matt Donovan."

And it dawned on Eden where she'd seen him before. Not only did she see him briefly at Sheila's funeral a year or so back, but she'd also gathered that he was one of Bonnie's friends.

It would seem as if having to settle was the luckiest thing to happen to her all day.

"Ah, yeah. We haven't met. But I've seen you around when I visited last time. You were at Sheila Bennett's funeral, you sat a couple of rows behind the immediate family." She nodded and popped a french fry in her mouth, chewing before continuing on. "Care to join me?"

Matt shrugged and nodded at the girl, a bit perplexed as to why she just had to bring up the Bennett family; though, he really couldn't put her at fault for that. She had nothing to do with them, and she didn't look the type to know anything about them. Or so he thought. As he settled into his seat, he cocked his head at her.

"You didn't give me your name."

"Eden Barrett, pleasure to meet you." Eden paused, narrowed her eyes for a split second before smiling. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Matt blinked. As odd and random as the woman seemed, she didn't look too harmful (though, thinking like that had gotten him into trouble in the past. But he was an optimist, so what?) so he just shrugged and nodded.

"Sure."

"You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a girl named Elena Gilbert, would you?"

* * *

Next up: Eden meets even more of the Mystic Falls gang!


End file.
